Personal protective equipment is utilized to protect individuals from bodily injury in various applications such as, but not limited to, sports, work, law enforcement and military events. Protective equipment typically is used by various individuals during their engagement in the related activities. Examples of conventional protective equipment include elbow pads; knee pads; helmets; face masks; shoulder pads; gloves; shoes; thigh pads; neck rolls; hip pads; tailbone pads; rib pads; shin pads; forearm guards; wrist guards; abdomen guards; bullet resistant vests; protective vests; bomb suits; motorcycle armor and other protective equipment to be worn by an individual user. This conventional equipment typically includes an outer shield whose outer surface is the first part of the equipment to sustain the impact, and inner padding that is positioned under the shield, so that it is between the shield and the user. The purpose of personal protective equipment is to protect the body of the individual user from blunt impacts incurred from opponents and/or objects (e.g. hockey puck, baseball, projectile, hitting an opponent, etc.) or the individual user engaging an object (e.g. falling to a ground surface, hitting a wall, etc.).
Conventional protective equipment padding typically is typically constructed of synthetic materials such as foam rubbers, molded plastics or a combination of plastics, rubber and foam. Conventional shields are typically made of hard materials such as hard plastics, ceramics and metals. The protective equipment is formed into a desired shape to protect the appropriate body region. The protective equipment may be worn externally, internally or within of the clothing (e.g. uniform, jersey, pants, shirt) of an individual. For example, the protective equipment may be worn externally or internally of the clothing utilizing straps or fasteners. The protective equipment may also be inserted into compartments or related structures within the clothing. The protective equipment may also be manufactured so that the protective shield and padding is within and part of the clothing itself.
There are at least two problems with conventional protective equipment in that they are bulky and relatively inflexible. Another problem with conventional protective equipment is that they add a substantial amount of weight to a person, and which additional weight can cause fatigue over time during use. Another problem with conventional protective equipment is that the foam rubber material can collect fluids during use thereby further increasing the weight of the protective padding over time. Also, collection of sweat and residue on some of the protection systems, such as, for example, the foam lining of bicycle helmets, can degrade the integrity and protective capability of the foam padding.
Because of these inherent problems with conventional protective equipment, there is a need for new, improved, lightweight and flexible protective equipment systems that effectively protect a person from injury without significantly limiting their body movement, causing fatigue and/or breakdown of the protective nature of the padding over time.